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hot shower.
He stepped under the spray and groaned as the hot water nearly scalded his skin. Jay
stood where he was, not bothering to turn up the cold water. He d get used to it, he always
did.
The next two days wouldn t be a big deal as far as preparing the pasta and sauce, but he
wondered how he d manage once he went back to work. He could go over before his shift at
O Brien s and make it, but that would put him in the same kitchen with Francois. Jay finally
decided it would be better to go over to The Canoe after he finished his shift at the pub. It
would mean he d have to try to catch as much sleep as possible during the day, but he knew
he could handle it for a couple of weeks.
When the water started to cool, he turned it off and grabbed his towel. He d just dried
off when he heard a knock at his door. Jay rolled his eyes. He knew who it would be. Despite
the numerous phone messages throughout the day, Jay hadn t spoken to Ethan since the
news of his affair had obviously made its way around Cattle Valley.
I know you re home, Ethan yelled through the closed door.
RECIPE FOR LOVE Carol Lynne 63
Jay sighed and wrapped the towel around his waist. He opened the door and looked at
his friend. I was in the shower. Hold on while I get something on.
Jay turned and strode towards his room.
What s going on? I heard around town that you were fucking around with Erico when
he had his heart attack.
Jay dug in his dresser and pulled out some clean underwear and a pair of sweats. He
dropped the towel and started dressing, ignoring Ethan s question until he was covered. He
grabbed a thick pair of socks and a T-shirt before leading his friend back to the living room.
It just happened.
Really? Ethan asked. So why didn t you tell me?
As Jay pulled on his sock, he noticed a rather large hole in the toe. He stared at the hole
wondering where the hell it had come from.
Jay? Ethan prompted.
Because I know how much you hate him, he mumbled. Jay leant back in the recliner
and closed his eyes. The conversation he didn t want to have in the first place was bringing
the emotions he d struggled with to the surface.
The expression on Erico s face still bothered him. Erico wasn t supposed to develop
feelings, that hadn t been part of the plan. Jay thought he d be safe with Erico. Hell, the
whole town joked about Erico changing lovers like most men changed underwear.
You re going to get hurt, ya know? Ethan finally said.
Jay opened his eyes and glanced at his best friend. His stomach clenched as he realised
just the opposite was true. I think it s the other way around.
Ethan laughed. Yeah, right.
Jay shrugged. He knew it wouldn t do any good to try and convince Ethan that Erico
had feelings for him. Jay hadn t even been able to truly admit it to himself.
Come on, Jay. Erico s a selfish prick and we both know it.
Jay narrowed his eyes. I m sorry Erico hurt you, but he s not a prick. At least not to
me.
Jay s nose started to burn moments before he felt his eyes fill with moisture. He blinked
rapidly, unprepared to let his own emotions be witnessed by anyone, including his best
friend. Erico was different with him. What Jay couldn t wrap his mind around was why?
RECIPE FOR LOVE Carol Lynne 64
Truth be told, he was too young for the restaurant owner and he knew it. He may have been
forced to grow up a hell of a lot earlier than most men, but at twenty, Jay wasn t sure he was
willing to settle down. His problems with Randy had proved it to him the hard way.
Bounding out of the chair, Jay went to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and
grabbed a bottle of water. He heard Ethan come into the room and waited. No doubt his
friend wasn t finished.
Jay was surprised when Ethan s arms wrapped around his waist from behind. Ethan
kissed the side of Jay s wet head. I was there to see the results of Randy s love, don t forget.
We all knew that asshole was bad news, but you said the same thing about him. Just because
someone is nice to you, doesn t mean they re a nice person, Jay. I m sorry you had to find
that out the hard way. I just don t want you to make the same mistake with Erico.
Erico would never hit me, Jay replied.
Maybe not, but I don t think you were ever in love with Randy, and we both know
how hard it was to break away from him. If you re lonely, find someone else. There are a lot
of really nice guys around here.
Jay turned around, shutting the fridge door in the process. He gazed into Ethan s eyes
but didn t know what to say. He knew his friend was right. There were a lot of men in Cattle
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